In the Shadow of the Unborn
by Entice
Summary: “Isn’t it funny,”she whispered,her eyes locked on the fading sunset,“how our lives are being orchestrated by a baby?”she turned to meet my gaze,smiling slightly.“How the unborn is playing god?”and with that she swept forward and captured my lips with hers
1. Contract of Tears

**Hey what's up readers?!!! I know that I have been ordered to make a fast update for crystal tears but I have all these story ideas spinning in my brain and I just had to get one written down and so I present **_**"In the Shadow of the Unborn"**_

**EPOV**

"A human?!!!!" Emmett's voice was incredulous. Carlisle nodded, his hand gripping Esme's. He motioned towards the room where the human was.

"But that's impossible." I murmured, my eyes trained on the door. Rosalie nodded in agreement. Carlisle shrugged.

"She came to me, saying that the vampire who got her pregnant," I heard Emmett's skeptical snort, "that he had mentioned us before. Something about how we were one of the biggest convent next to the Volturi. She wants help." I looked at Jasper who stood quiet beside me, Alice's hand on his arm; a look of thoughtfulness on his face. Before I could read his thoughts Jasper spoke them.

"She knows so much about our world. She could have only learned it from a Vampire. Her knowledge alone is enough to ensure her death by the Volturi's hands. Even if her tale of pregnancy by her vampire friend is false, we should still protect her from the Volturi's wrath." Jasper had spoken. His thoughts were usually the most insightful next to Carlisle's. We all acquiesced.

"Edward, I wanted you to check her thoughts. See if she is really pregnant by a vampire, even though we have already decided to protect her."

"Okay." I agreed, turning to enter the room.

"Alice, you go with him. The rest of you should go hunting. It won't be easy to have a human this close in proximity to us on such a regular basis." Everyone nodded, separating to do as Carlisle recomended. Alice and I entered the room.

The first thing I noticed was the scent that filled the room. It was so much more fragrant than any human scent I had ever encountered. _Delicious_… it called to the monster in me, begging me to satisfy the burning thirst in the back of my throat. I stopped just in front of the door. Any closer and the human could have found herself dead. Thanking god for my control, I looked around the room. On the bed sat one of the most beautiful humans I had ever seen. Her face was heart shaped and inexplicably innocent; filled with wide eyes and full lips. My eyes traveled down, taking in the slight bump of her belly; she could only be about two months pregnant. She looked up at Alice and I; a smile spreading across her face. _She looks totally unafraid…_Alice's thoughts brought me out of my inspection of the girl and reminded me of what I was supposed to be doing. Shaking my head back and forth I quickly searched the room for the human's thoughts. Nothing. I felt my eyes widen. _**What the hell?**_ Alice, unaware of my plight, took a step toward the Impregnated girl. _She's just a child…_ this was true. She couldn't be older that seventeen and there was a childlike quality in the girls welcoming brown eyes. As if she had seen nothing of the horrors in her world; but according to her, it was quite the opposite.

"Hi! I'm Alice! This is my brother Edward!" I always felt that when Alice spoke I could almost see the exclamation points. The girl smiled at us and stood up, reaching a hand towards Alice. Her scent flew around the room, and I gritted my teeth.

"I'm Bella; Bella Swan." Alice looked at her hand in shock for a few seconds before shaking it. I waited for the surprise to cover the Bella's face as she felt the cold, hard texture of Alice's skin but it never came. Struggling, I tried to penetrate the abyss that was the girl's mind. Still nothing… I had no idea what was going on. Normally I had to block out the thoughts of others to retain some sanity but now, even as I strained to hear her thoughts, Bella's were blocked from me. Alice looked over at me, her eyes showing her surprise at the girl's forwardness before she turned her gaze on Bella's stomach. Bella saw this and smiled.

"I know that you don't believe me. I hardly believed it myself. After all the times James complained that it was impossible for him to have kids I thought that maybe I had been raped by a human in my sleep." She laughed, a gorgeous, tinkling laugh; but there was an edge to it. "But I was perfectly awake when James did that to me." Alice gasped.

"This James, he…" Bella nodded a sad smile on her face. Alice's face was contorted with pity. Even when the thought of a Vampire raping a human was ridiculous, I couldn't help but believe her as Alice seemed to. She had this purity to her. And even when my ability seemed bunged by her mind, all her thoughts could be read through her highly expressive eyes.

"That's horrible." Alice gushed. I nodded. Bella tried to smile bravely at us both, but her bottom lip wobbled.

"I...I know that I may seem like a lying intruder into your life but I…. oh god. I just didn't know what to do. James left and… I've seen his strength; his speed…. If his baby had one hundredth of it there was no way I was fit to raise it alone." She dropped her head to her hands and sat back on the bed. Alice, who had nodded in sympathy throughout Bella's outbreak, moved to comfort the crying girl. I urged to do the same but knew that a step in her direction could cause a lapse in my waning control. Instead, I chose to smile encouragingly at her from afar. She looked up at Alice, who was rubbing an ice cold hand across Bella's back, and smiled embarrassedly at her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry."Bella mumbled. Alice shook her head vehemently.

"I can only imagine what you have been through. I promise you, you are safe here." Bella looked at her reverently. Then she shook her head.

"Thank you so much but…. Well... I didn't come here for _my_ safety. I put no real value on my life. But my baby… I love it already." She laughed; the real thing this time. "I guess it's the whole mother thing. I just want the best for it. That's why I came." Alice grinned at her.

"You have no idea of the honor our family would take in helping you raise your child." Alice giggled in excitement and a picture of a little baby roaming our house flashed through her mind. Bella smiled at her tangible enthusiasm. Then, in an unbelievable movement, Bella hugged Alice. Alice was still for a moment, frozen by shock, before she proceeded to hug Bella back.

"Thank you so much Alice; and you Edward," She looked up at me shyly and then she laughed. "I was so scared when I met Carlisle at the hospital. I had no idea what I would do if he did not believe my story; if he turned me away. And then I was frightened that you wouldn't like me...that you would proclaim me a liar. I had no one else to turn to. But your family… you are the kindest people I have ever met... Thank you so much!" Alice was practically in tears (well not really, as she couldn't cry. None of us could.) And her smile looked about ready to break off her face.

"You are so welcome Bella!" and like that, Bella was welcomed into our family.

_**Okay, so this story is set in forks and the Cullen's still live in the same house and Carlisle is still Fork's best doctor. Bella's story will play out through the coming chapters. This story probably wont be updated that fast but I'll try! Please, read and Review!!!!!!!!!!**_

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**_Still loving ya'll,_**

**_Entice_**


	2. Curiosity’s Desires

**Epov**

I watched as Alice released Bella from her death grip; smiling as Bella unlocked her hands from Alice's back unwillingly. Alice beamed at Bella as she sat back and then her eyes flickered to mine. _She's telling the truth, right?…_ how was I going to tell her that I had no true idea. I believed that Bella was telling the truth but I couldn't just read her mind to see. I moved my eyes almost imperceptibly to the door and back to her, signaling that I wanted to talk to her outside. Frowning, she nodded and then turned her gaze back on Bella, a look of apology in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but Edward and I…" Bella held up a hand to stop her, grinning.

"Its fine Alice, you guy go do what you need to." Alice giggled, hugged Bella one more time and then followed me out of the room.

"So?" Alice asked me, her eyes expectant. I took a deep breath.

"I can't hear her thoughts." Alice's eyes widened.

"What?!!!!!" I motioned for her to lower her voice. She obliged, but her mind was screaming. I nodded.

"I don't know what's going on but….when I walked in and tried to listen for her thoughts all I heard was yours inside the room." Alice was shaking her head back and forth quickly. _I don't understand…_

"We should go tell Carlisle." I nodded again and followed as she ran to Carlisle's study.

Alice knocked carefully. _You two can come in Edward…_I pushed the door open and stepped aside so that Alice could enter, moving into the room after her. From his seat at the desk, Carlisle looked up at us. I turned my head to see Alice looking pointedly at me. Sighing, I proceeded to explain what had happened in Bella's room to him. Carlisle rubbed his chin, thinking hard about the possibilities. Then he turned to Alice.

"Would you mind going to get Bella?" she was gone and back in less than three minutes, a laughing Bella clutched to her chest. Setting the giggling Bella down, Alice spun around to drop into one of the plush seats that Carlisle had in his Study; a huge smile plastered to her face. Bella looked over at Carlisle and blushed; and then dropped her gaze to her fingers. I clenched my fists together; stopping myself from jumping her as the blood pooled into her cheeks.

"Ah Bella… how are you?" he asked, looking down at the embarrassed girl with intent eyes. Bella cleared her throat.

"Ummm… I'm wonderful, thank you. I can't express how completely I appreciate you letting me stay here." She mumbled; her eyes still downcast. Carlisle smiled at her paternally.

"You are most welcome Bella." Bella lifted her eyes then and they were glazed over with tears.

"You are so kind. I am forever grateful for your help." Carlisle just continues to smile. _I think she's telling the truth Edward, even if you cant hear it… just look into her eyes…_I just shrugged, and then nodded slightly.

"The reason I called you down here, Bella, is because something…unexpected has happened." I saw Bella stiffen. Seeing her fear, Carlisle shook his head quickly.

"Oh, nothing Bad." She loosened her posture slightly. "Just something unexpected as I said before." She looked at him.

"Do you want me to help with something? Is this a problem I can fix?" she asked quickly, her desire to be useful obvious in her tone. When Carlisle nodded, she broke out into a million watt smile.

"I want you to think of a something, an apple for instance. I want you to picture it in your mind; visualize its textures and colors…" she looked at him in a curios fashion for a moment before eagerly doing as he asked. Not that I would truly know as I could still hear nothing of her thoughts. But if the cute, scrunched up expression on her face was any clue; well, I would say she was thinking about that apple harder than she had ever thought about anything in her life. I resisted the urge to laugh out loud. Carlisle looked at me expectantly. I shook my head.

"Interesting…" Bella looked over at him, seeming confused.

"What's interesting?" she inquired, frowning minutely. Carlisle snuck a peek at me…_do you mind if I clue her in..._I shrugged again.

"Well you see Bella, Edward here has the ability to read minds…" I watched her face light up. I was confused…_ she want me to be able to read her mind?..._

"So you mean that you guys know for sure that I'm telling the truth 'cause he, well you know, just read it in my mind."

"Well you see, Bella, It has turned out that you are in fact immune to Edwards Talent." Her face fell. "But rest assured Bella, I do not think that Edward nor Alice disbelieve your story. I myself know that I believe its merit." Alice nodded quickly and I followed suit. Bella smiled at us, but still seemed a little disappointed. Most people would love to know that their thoughts were safe from outward minds, but not Bella. Instead she was upset that I could not penetrate the deep void that was her mentality.

"Does that…" she took a deep breath and then continued. "What's wrong with me?" she screamed in frustration. Carlisle looked taken back by her outburst.

"I just mean… first I meet a vampire, get pregnant with this vampire's child, which is impossible by the way, and then, to top it off, He can't read my mind! Am I a… a…a freak?!!!"

"Ummm..." Alice spoke quickly, "you're not a freak! You're just…Different." Bella sighed. She seemed truly distressed about it.

"Sorry. Its just… since I was little I never really connected with people. I always thought that maybe there was something wrong with my mind…" I started laughing. Alice stared at me like I was crazy and Carlisle's face had again morphed into a mask of surprise. What? I laughed! Occasionally…I looked over at Bella who was swinging her head back and forth between Carlisle and Alice; studying their looks of incredulous shock.

"I take it you don't laugh often…" she murmured, looking at me with amusement.

"I laugh!" I spluttered indignantly. She giggled.

"Okay, Edward! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you; it was a nice laugh and everything…but do you see the look their giving you?!!!" she giggled again, watching as they both shook themselves out of their stupor.

"They are just exaggerating." I murmured. She blushed suddenly.

"What are you thinking?" I blurted out. It was so strange not to just automatically know. She looked down, blushing some more.

"Uhhh, nothing. Just …you know… stuff…" she stumbled through the word and the red never left her cheeks. I chuckled.

"No, I don't know. Enlighten me. What kind of _stuff_?" she mumbled something about normal _stuff_.

"Edward!!!!!! You're all happy! What happened?" I ignored Alice's question and instead concentrated on the laugh it extracted out of Bella. She had a beautiful laugh, like warm wind through autumn leaves. That's the only way I can describe it. Warm and colorful; enticing. I watched as it flowed out of her lips and I found myself…. ridiculously… _I found myself wondering how those lips would feel on mine_.

**Chapter number two!**_**does**__**an extremely disturbing happy Dance**_** what?!!! I just really like this story. I wish more people would review though…but thank you to those who did review:**

**saphira341****- Who was the official first review! Lurve u!**

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**Thank you guys so much! This was really just a fillie chappie but I'm getting there. Enjoy and pleeeaaassseee review!**

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**Luvs youes,**

**Entice**


	3. Contemplating Divinity

**EPOV**

I shook my head quickly, trying to clear it of my perturbing thoughts. How could I want to kiss her?! She was so…. Human. But at the same time I couldn't help but feel she was special. Not in terms of her incredible immunity to my power or her implausible impregnation by a vampire. But in terms of how she related to me directly… I couldn't help but feel that, somehow, she was important in my life. How ridiculous.

"Well," Carlisle hummed, smiling at me, "I believe that shows that Bella is completely impervious to your talent." He than turned to Bella. "Thank you for helping us Bella. Now I think that the family should be coming back soon. We'll all meet in the family room in ten minutes." With that Alice and I left his office, Alice pulling Bella along behind her.

"What's the matter?" I heard Alice murmur and turned to see Bella biting her lip and clutching her stomach. Just as Alice had reached a hand towards her, Bella moaned and folded upon herself; her body dropping to the floor.

"Edward get Carlisle…Now." I nodded at Alice. But as I turned to go back into the study I heard a winded voice whisper behind me.

"No! No, I'm fine… the baby was just kicking." Bella gasped, struggling to her feet. "My little future soccer player." She grinned, patting her slightly rounded belly. Alice didn't look satisfied.

"I should probably still get Carlisle. Babies don't normally kick this early into the pregnancy. Their not developed enough. You usually don't even feel movement until the 16th week" I told her, my eyes trained on her stomach. Alice nodded beside me. Bella shook her head vehemently at both of us.

"The baby's fine. I don't want to put anyone out. I'll tell him after the meeting in the living room." Alice, though still looking a little unsure, agreed. I simply shrugged, not truly agreeing with her but feeling that it was useless to argue. Bella smiled gratefully at us both.

"Thank you… again." She mumbled, her head suddenly dropping. Alice's tinkling laugh filled the air.

"You have got to stop thanking us! You're going to enlarge Edward's already huge ego!" I rolled my eyes good naturedly as Bella giggled.

"Come on, we should get down to the living room." Alice grabbed both of our hands and started dragging us behind her.

As we got closer to the living room I noticed that Bella began to close up; her answers to Alice's questions became one worded and she never volunteered information. She began to bite her nails and her eyes were kept staring strait ahead. As though she was afraid. Somehow, it made my sad that she feared my family even though it was what to be expected.

"Are you afraid?" I asked her gently, assuming that I knew her reaction. Her eyes swiveled to meet mine and she laughed slightly, then nodded.

"Is it stupid for me to still fear rejection by the rest of your family?" she questioned, her voice slightly wobbly. I felt my eyebrow come together.

"That's what you fear?" she pinned me with a quizzical gaze at my disbelieving tone and nodded again. I couldn't help it, a chuckle escaped my lips. What an utterly anomalous thing to fear around vampires…even tame ones. She frowned at me.

"What's so funny?" she asked quietly, her lips returning to her already mutilated fingernail. _She is so strange…but in a good way…_Alice's voice penetrated my mind. I nodded in agreement. She WAS strange… her self-preservation was almost non-existent. But… she was also…. I don't know how to explain it.

"You are about to go into a room full of vampires, 'Vegetarian' ones to be sure, but still… and you fear rejection?" she narrowed her eyes at me.

"How could I fear you… after all you've done for me already? Any other vampires would have eaten me by now…" she didn't know how close I was to doing just that. At the thought I sighed and took a few more steps away from her. And somehow, she noticed.

"Do I …. Do I annoy you?" she questioned sadly, blushing slightly at the boldness of her query. I shook my head quickly, my jaw tightening at the crimson in her cheeks.

"The why do you move away from me?" I sighed again. _Just tell her…_ I sent Alice a look.

"We try… we try to be good Bella. Some times are harder than others." **(I so stole that line, Sorry Mrs. Meyer!)**_Yeah, I think she understood that, Edward_…_not. _Shut up Alice.

"So… around me, it's harder?" I looked at her in surprise. Seeing my expression, she laughed. "Yeah, I actually understood." I smiled as we walked into the living room. "James always said I smelled better than others."

"Well… if it isn't the human who knows just a bit too much, come to us for protection." Rosalie's icy voice filled the room from where she sat on the couch, making Bella's head snap up in surprise. _Lying weak human…_ for some reason Rosalie's thoughts made me want to growl in anger; I caught myself just in time. Bella frowned at my lounging blonde sister taking in her arms wrapped around the overly endowed Emmett.

"I didn't come for protection…Just help… I do" Rosalie held up a carefully manicured hand to stop her.

"We've already taken you in, must you continue to feed us untruths?" she hissed condescendingly. There was much malice in her voice. I fully expected Bella to cringe away. But instead the little human rose to her full height, which wasn't much, and matched Rose's glare.

"I can understand you not wanting me to be here. Fine. But I will not take your hits on my 'story'. I am not a liar." Everyone, including the rest of the family who had wandered in during Bella's outburst, looked shell-shocked. Well, except Rosalie. Instead she rose gracefully out of Emmett's restraining arms and stood before the furious Bella, outraged.

"How dare you, you little nothing. You come here to my family… inflicting the impending wrath of the Volturi on us all and you have the nerve to speak rudely to me!" Carlisle calmly stepped between then.

"That's enough." He murmured and proceeded to sit beside Esme on a plushy leather loveseat that stood in the corner of the room. "Take a seat… all of you." We all obeyed; Rosalie resumed her place next a wary Emmett, Alice and Jasper beside them, and I pulled Bella beside me onto the loveseat that matched Carlisle. Bad move, I thought as her Scent hit me. I clenched my fists.

"As I'm sure you are all aware," Carlisle began, "Bella here has requested the help of our family in her predicament." Rosalie snorted and Alice threw her a glare. "I have thought it only fair for her to tell her story to you." Bella's eyes widened as he nodded to her, turning everybody's attention to her surprised face.

"Okay…umm… a few years ago...oh wow, I guess six now, I was living with my mom in phoenix when she had a terrible accident. We had been driving to my grandma's funeral when a heard of dear came cantering across the road and in her swerve to avoid them she crashed in to a tree. She was dying… I really can't remember thinking anything but how she needed to get to the hospital NOW and how we were in the middle of nowhere. I had called the ambulance but I knew they wouldn't make it on time. I remember crying at the thought when suddenly a man was knocking on the window and his eyes…they were red like poisoned apple. "Jasper's eyes darkened at this… it wasn't so long ago now that his eyes would have mirrored Bella's "Man's". "When I didn't roll down the window he smashed it to pieces ignoring my scream. Then he extracted me from the car and grabbed my mother. 'I can save her!' he said in the most beautiful voice I had ever heard. 'Climb onto my back." And despite every piece of my body screaming in protest, every bit of common sense moaning no, I did what he said. And then we were flying. Or that's what it felt like… I don't remember much after that besides the fact that we got to the hospital and my mother lived. After that James was always in our lives. That was his name, James. My mother was in his gratitude, a fact he would remind us of subtly every once in a while. We knew he was a vampire, he had explained it to us after the hospital. I…I don't know why he wanted us. He would have us bury the bodies of his victims and I never understood why… he could have easily done it himself. No, there was something he wanted from us that he never said. There was always a secret in his eyes. As the years past he became closer to me. He was like a father but… like a brother. I can't really explain it. There was never any romance though. He seemed to see me as precious. He told me all the secrets of his kind, all his wishes and dreams…I think he just kept my mother around because she is what kept me around willingly. Then on my sixteenth birthday he…" she stopped, her eyes down cast.

"Bella, I know this is hard for you." Carlisle whispered soothingly. I watched Bella's jaw tightened in determination.

"He forced himself on me… but it wasn't lustful or anything like that. It was like he was doing a long awaited job that he just wanted to get over with. My mother heard my screams and when she ran into the room to see what was going on he killed her…Ironic because he saved her in the first place. And then he looked at me smirked and left. I didn't move for the bed for days, I couldn't. I was hardly up to par in terms of sex partners for Vampires and he wasn't exactly soft. Then for weeks afterwards it was only to eat and use the bathroom. I had nowhere to go… I don't know who my dad is and have no other family. But one day I woke up and puked. And that's when I knew. One pregnancy test later and I'm at forks hospitals doorstep praying to god for help." The room was silent only Bella's silent sobs piercing through it. _What God…_ Alice's thoughts rang through my ears.

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	4. Crossing Boundries

Hey peoples

**Hey peoples! Update within a year! Yups, I think I need some props for that ;). SPECIALLY CAUSE I JUST MOVED TO HONG KONG! So I know I jump form one big subject to another but I promise to make some fillers sometime soon haha. Oh, if I switch tenses in this I'm sorry! It's pasted tense. **

EPOV

Bella had been with us for a month now, enough time for the townsmen to notice her presence and to require an explanation (she was officially Alice's dead brother's wife, come home at last). Esme was quite taken with her. We all were. She made it known that she required no pity, but she wasn't too proud to ask for help. Still, you could see the jealousy when one of us had to open a jar for her (holding it far away to make sure that we didn't catch a whiff of the disgusting human food) or lift a car so that she could get her keys which had fallen under it( her stomach quite prevented her from sliding underneath). What she wouldn't give to not be dependent on us. What she wouldn't give to raise her child by her self. It was obvious that she felt like the intruder, which only added fuel to Rosalie's fire. Okay, I shouldn't say we all liked her. Rosalie still looked at her like scum. But even Emmett had fallen for the cute, fragile human with the unbelievable reactions. Alice was head over heels. As for myself…well, I didn't know how I felt.

Right now we both sat on my couch, her staring at the rug and me gazing at the glass wall on the left side of the room. The rest off the family had gone hunting, leaving me designated babysitter as I had already gone last week with Jasper (he, of course, needed all the hunting he could get with Bella in such close proximity).

"Edward?" I turned quickly away from the window I had been looking out of and looked intently at Bella, taking in her quizzically titled head. I smiled lightly.

"Yes?" She blushed slightly and I steeled myself against an over-stuffed arm. _Easier every time _I thought as I felt myself relax. Resisting the bloodlust was getting less and less complicated... Now I could stand beside her, and not reach out to grab her neck and suck her dry. No… Now I just wanted to.

"Bella?" I asked when she didn't pose her question. She looked up at me. We had become close over the month. Outsiders usually band together and Bella and I were no different. I knew things about her that probably no one else knew ( like that her favorite color was green, a deep dark green… the color of her mother's eyes… and she would kill to have met her father just once). I also knew that the question she was going to ask was probably personal because she bit her lip the way she always does when she's going to say something uncomfortable.

"Can I ask you a…a personal question of sorts?" she garbled, her face turned towards the tan/gold carpet of my floor. I chuckled under my breath. See?

"Of course." I whispered, staring her in the eyes. She reddened and looked even further down, mumbling something.

"What?" I asked.

"I said it would be a lot easier if you would stop dazzling me." I laughed in earnest remembering the first time she had made this claim. I had been chuckling at her, she had fallen down the steps and into my awaiting arms, and she had yelled at me. Well, tried. Apparently my "dazzling" distracted her from the task.

"Would it be better if I turned around?" I asked jokingly… only to be more amused when she nodded. Doing as she bid me, I turned my body to face the glass panels.

"Okay…Okay, I was wondering…well you know how everybody else has a 'mate'?" I nodded slightly. "Uh, I was… How come you don't?" she rushed. I flipped back around and leaned back to look at the ceiling, thinking.

"I guess it's because I'm complete within myself. There's no one I've met that I would wish to become bonded with on a higher level than sibling, friend or parent wise. I don't think I'll ever meet such a person." I finally murmured.

"Oh." She said, her voice small. It sounded almost as though there was a catch in it… I looked down at her again only to see the tears flowing down her face.

"Bella? Bella…" I asked, horrified. Had I made her cry... why?

"S-ss-orr-y…oh g-od. I'm such a crier. I can't believe I…" she stopped speaking. Tenderly…tentatively…I reached over to wipe the tears off her face. She gasped slightly and looked up at me, her eyes holding all the surprise she felt.

"Bella, honey, why are you crying?" I watched her mouth fall open. Then, shaking herself she answered me.

"I was just thinking about my mom." With a lie. I knew her well enough to be able to tell. She wasn't very good at it. I frowned at her, but let it go as I heard the family pulling into the drive way. Bella struggled to a standing position with my help, careful of her growing belly. Together we walked to the door to greet the family.

Rosalie was the first to walk in, making sure to give poor Bella her customary glare. It was harder today than ever before.

"What's the matter?" asked Bella, seeing Rosalie's extra annoyance as well as I did. Rosalie glared again before saying simply

"We picked up another desolate stray." And then she stomped on to her room. Stray…? Then I saw her. She was a deep brown, almost black, under the normal chalky pallor, like a wet brown stone patted lightly with chalk dust. Her eyes, Deep red with a strange ring of molten silver around them, stood out against a soft delicate face full with voluptuous lips, high cheekbones and a small nose. She was probably the most beautiful vampire I had ever seen and yet in the back of my mind I couldn't help comparing her to Bella. In my eyes Bella had no competition.

I shook myself away from the troubling thoughts and focused my eyes on the "Stray" as the rest of my family filed into the house. She looked around the room her eyes slowly setting on Bella. I saw a familiar urge light in her red orbs and I took a protectoral step in front of the human. Almost in succinct with my movement the light died within the blood colored irises and was reinstated with sorrow.

"I'm sorry." She spoke in a low melodic whisper, the kind that would send shivers up any **human** male's spine. "I try to repress it but…it's hard at times. I haven't had much practice…and her blood smells so sweet…" Alice patted her back in pity._ Eboni wants to convert Edward! Isn't that great?!_ Alice's mind spoke out. I turned to look at Bella, only to see her eyeing Eboni with suspicious eyes. This did not escape Carlisle's notice. He nodded once to Jasper who proceeded in leading everyone into the living room. I noticed that Bella walked at the back of the procession, as far away from Eboni, who was being dragged to the sofa by Alice, as possible. Standing beside her, I whispered comforting words into her ear.

"You need not fear, you know. I can always protect you." For some reason my words came out less casually than I meant them too. Bella's brown pools met my eyes and she bit her lip. I struggled to keep my mind on her words and not how plump her mouth looked when she did that. Lust! What a…human emotion. As if human feelings were catching.

"It's just I feel as though I have met her before… but I know that If I had ever truly met her I would be sure of it." I nodded in agreement.

"She does seem unforgettable." I murmured, looking at the afore mentioned. Bella eyes bore into mine and then she looked down… but not before I saw a touch of sadness flash across her countenance.

"Yes," she sighed in an almost defeated way, "**she** is very beautiful." I opened my mouth to explain that it was more the silver rings around her eyes when Carlisle, standing in the middle of the room, spoke.

"Bella and Edward, I'm sorry. I know we owe you an explanation, especially to you Bella." He tried to catch the pregnant girl's eyes but she kept them on the floor. _Edward, is she afraid?_ At Carlisle curiosity I taped into Jasper's thoughts but to my surprise the only emotion coming from Bella was intense sadness. I didn't understand. How frustrating. But I loved her to much to let her suffer, no matter the cause…. Loved her? No No, that just slipped out. I mean that I felt too protectoral of her. I ran what was becoming my motto through my mind again and again… she's human, she's human, SHE'S HUMAN. But for some reason that did not seem like enough to just brush off my uncouth feelings. I cleared my throat, both as a distraction for me and as a way to grab everyone's attention.

"I think we can wait to get the tale tomorrow. It's been a long day and I am sure Bella would like some rest." I said. At this Bella's eyes lifted off the ground and she sent me a bemused look. I felt another curious pair of eyes on me and turned to see Eboni swiveling her disconcerting gaze between Bella and I. Inquisitively, I floated towards her thoughts. _Hmmm, he sure seems to cater towards her feelings. I wonder if they are mates. Well as mated as they could be…she __**is**__ human. Mmmm, she sure smells like it. But if they are mated than how does he feel about the…._ for some reason when she noticed my eyes on her, her thinking changed to randomness about the furniture. Almost as if she knew what I could do…had Alice told her? My thoughts on her transition of thoughts kept me from studying the actual subject of said thoughts for which I was grateful. Carlisle, who was staring intently at me with his thinking carefully guarded, finally spoke.

"I feel as though the entire family should know before we retire for the night." Bella glowed at her inclusion in the family and in response happiness at her happiness flowed through me. I didn't know how long I was going to be able to deny what I was feeling. If it was so obvious to an outsider….

"Whatever you would like Carlisle, of course." Bella said, agreeing to Carlisle's option. Upset for some reason I couldn't really comprehend I turned to sit on the couch, unconsciously dragging Bella by the hand with me and sitting her beside me. I ignored the looks that this received and motioned towards Carlisle to start. With a sigh he began.

"Let's make it a long story short. I am sorry Eboni if I do not do your tale justice." Eboni shook her head in a way to show she didn't mind. "Hunting today, we came across Eboni in the forest. Of course we were suspicious, but eventually she explained herself to us. Her past, alike to Jasper's, occurs in the south within the Vampire wars. She is an escaped Hecori." I am sure my face lighted in recognition. Within the wars of the south, as we had learned from Jasper, it was well known knowledge that love was the strongest feeling and that love could make one do the unthinkable. It is also wide knowledge that during the transition from human to undead you automatically attach your heart to whoever requires it of you. While you scream in pain your creator can simply say "Love me and I will make the pain go away" and you agree, you promise to love them….of course. For some reason, promises made during transition ALWAYS come true. Another mystery of our kind. The vampire that comes into creation with the promise of love in their frozen skin is called a Hecori. Treated as the scum of the wars, like the prostitutes in the human society, they were used to carry out major dirty work in as Whorish fashion. And they did it because their love asked it of them. "Eboni became tired of being used and so she escaped. In her indecision of where to go, and she knew she had to distract herself from the thought that she was leaving her love, she remembered something that her trainer had mentioned to her jokingly once. She didn't drink as willingly as the others and he had teased her, asking her if she would rather drink animals like the nature shunning Cullens." At this we all grinned. Well, everyone except for Eboni and Bella.

"And so here I am." Murmured Eboni, taking her story into her own hands. "He never really loved me, I know that. But it is hard to think of anything else but your love for them. I am glad to have thought of your family when I did." She seemed emotionally connected to her words, but for some reason she was thinking of how nice Esme's dress was. How…strange.

**Chapter…what chapter is this?...oh, who cares. REVIEW! You know you want to! Just type a couple words in the box if you REALLY don't feel like exerting effort. I really appreciate it. :) if you review you get to be part of the awesomeness that happens after the actual story. well, the dance party was just scary, but it'll get better!**

**p.s. I didn't REALLY check this over so tell me if you want me to revise it. **

**Thanks to the most uber coolio people alive: ( I decided to comment on everybody's review again or just them personally cause I'm like that :)****) **

**xiomara209****- **yeah, Rose has issues…then again don't we all? No? ohh…it's just me…right.

**XOMADCRAZZYOX**(her not so much uber coolioness... I mean she did ruin the dance party, no matter what Gryffindor'sSlytherinPrincess says about my …uhh… superfantabulous skillz at bustin' a move….shutup you sloremonkey! I can totally drop it like it's hott!...ummmm.)

**mattybabe****- **hey, matty, are you British? Brittish chicks rox! (I used to be one but now im an American…gotta love us ;D…or not, you know, whichever)

**wingedspirit**- yes well I strive to be unique…some call it strange but we don't care about those weirdo's do we now ;)

**eclipselover**– haha, yeah rose needed a bisnitch slap…metaphortically people, metaphorically…

**Wildrose Vampire **who was totally getting _Wild_ _and rosey_ at the dance partay! Get it cause your name and the wildnesss and...you _suck_... get it, cause the vampire and the blood...kay, I'm done. ( you don't really suck...well unless you really_ are_ a Vampire...or a mosquito.)

**Gryffindor'sSlytherinPrincess **(Who gets to also be **Kismet**, **Mandy**, and **Manders**, and **Catty-Amanda-Bella-SEXYBOXERS** and who I give billions of X's and O's and Q's and F's and W's! cause those are her favorite letters, don't you know!)(p.s. you're a total celebrity babe! I say so! It is law!)

xxxVxxx YEAH!! kill him! oh, wait...the where would my story be?

**We can't have another Dance party because…eww. So instead we're gonna have a mad crazy foot shake. In three two one shake those feet like nobody's business…three…two…one…. noooooo! My eyes! Oh my virgin eyes!! FOOT, FOOT! NOOOOOOO, PUT THE RUMP DOWN…MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP! AAAARRRGGGGHHHHH…**

**...I'll never be the same. Wwwwwhhhhhyyyyyy? ….just…why? **

**i would say luvs yus but i'm too busy scrubing my not so virgin anylonger eyes with peroxide, maybe later...**

**Entice( a.k.a. **_Riny Boa, the blood sucking evil mastermind of the dark pink underwater solar system...here to make pie)_


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